House Saeborne
His Grace Domhnall Saeborne - Duke of Moray, Count of Grey Harbour and Baron Saltcliffe House Saeborne is a Great House of the Kingdom of Dol Aderyn with a lineage that stretches back over seventeen generations. It is sworn to the Royal Houses of Rhyne/Velithorne. The Ducal seat is Saltcliffe Hall in the port city of Grey Harbour. The House colors are blue and gold and its sigil is the sea-horse. House Motto: "Let Nature Run Its Course" Saeborne Lore 500 years ago the independent City-State of Grey Harbour was notorious throughout Elyria as a largely lawless base for corsairs who ravaged and plundered both seaside settlements and coastal shipping, as well as for smugglers who transported slaves and other illicit cargo. At this time House Saeborne was just one of many local clans that pursued both undertakings with equal enthusiasm depending on which happened to be more profitable at any given time. Over the next century however two of these clans gradually rose to prominence and power above all others: House Saeborne being one and House Gilyard the other. These Houses had a long history of enmity between them as they and their allies fought a shadow-war for control of Grey Harbour, utilizing economic warfare, assassination, espionage, and arson. Both factions were leery of open conflict as neither side could gain a decisive military advantage over the other; by conducting this shadow-war each hoped to weaken their foe, thereby making an outright military victory possible. This state of affairs lasted for years until an outside entity unexpectedly changed the balance-of-power equation; The Kingdom of Dol Aderyn. The Kingdom attacked and laid siege to the City-State of Grey Harbour during an expansionist campaign to gain more coastal territory. Initially the Saebornes and Gilyards laid aside their differences in the face of this new outside threat, but as the months wore on and the siege increasingly bit, Petyr Saeborne advocated seeking terms while Cormal Gilyard insisted on continued resistance. Knowing the prolonged siege was taking a heavy toll on the Dol Aderyn forces, and in the face of Cormal Gilyard's stubbornness Petyr Saeborne saw opportunity. He sent an emissary to Arctus Hartsfield, the Field Commander of the Dol Aderyn forces with a proposal: In return for opening the gates of the city and supporting his troops once inside, Hartsfield would grant Petyr Saeborne control of Grey Harbour and its surrounding lands under the auspices of the Kingdom of Dol Aderyn. Arctus Hartsfield agreed to Petyr Saeborne's terms and within a fortnight the City-State had fallen. In the ensuing chaos Saeborne agents took the opportunity to liquidate House Gilyard to the last babe-in-arms; thereby eliminating his rival and cowing all remaining internal opposition. Shortly thereafter Petyr Saeborne was installed as the first Count of Grey Harbour and the Saeborne's rule has been unbroken since. One-hundred and eighty-seven years ago the Duchy of Moray was created, incorporating significant territory surrounding the County of Grey Harbour with Count Orell Saeborne installed as the first Duke. Currently the Duchy is held by His Grace Domhnall Saeborne, 5th Duke of Moray. Current Situation Grey Harbour has developed the reputation where almost anything or anyone can be had if one has enough coin. The unique, rare and mundane from all corners of Elyria can be found for sale or barter within it. House Saeborne firmly believes that markets and trade should be allowed to operate freely as long as it gets its due share via taxes and tariffs. This "hands off" economic policy extends to the governing policy of the Duchy of Moray as a whole; Nobles, Aristocrats and Commoners alike are largely free to pursue their own policies, goals, interests and professions as long as they pay their proper taxes and tariffs, don't lapse into blatant criminality (thereby attracting unwanted attention), and agree to fully support the Duchy in war, rebellion or other crisis. Recently, His Grace has expressed great interest in researching and developing improved shipbuilding and navigation technologies, with the eventual goal of launching true blue-water trade and exploration vessels. To that end he has founded a Maritime Academy within Grey Harbour and has encouraged astronomers, carpenters, tinkerers, scribes and all others interested in furthering the pursuit of knowledge, technology and industrial development to come and reside there. Furthermore, he has proclaimed that the Academy's research facilities and resources will be developed and provided for at his personal expense.